Tequila Mojito Shaken

For the last day of summer, which is tomorrow, I thought that a tequila mojito shaken was in order. Try making and sipping on this bubbly concoction, made with muddled mint that many of us still have on hand, and the zing of fresh lime juice.

Flecks of mint in a tequila mojito shaken

While we reminisce about this past summer and look forward to fall, let me tell you about this tequila mojito shaken. I admit that I’m a lot more familiar with mixing and drinking tequila than rum. And yes, I understand, my fellow chicas and chicos, that the original mojito from Cuba called for rum instead of tequila.

Mint, lime, tequila, sugar syrup, and seltzer equals yummy mojito

But since I’m not really a food or cocktail snob or traditionalist, I’ve given this classic cocktail a twist by substituting tequila for the rum. Another twist I’ve added is shaking instead of stirring. And guess what? This tequila mojito shaken recipe totally rocks!

A few things to note: First of all, regular ice cubes in the serving glass are okay in this cocktail recipe, but crushed ice is far better.

Use the flat side of a mallet to crush ice inside a kitchen towel

I simply place some ice cubes in a kitchen towel, and then wrap the towel up over the cubes.

Try using a mallet and towel to crush ice for cocktails

Then, using the flat side of a metal meat mallet, I very firmly hit the outside of the towel over the cubes until I have crushed ice.

Crushed ice ready for cocktails

Not only is this a gratifying way to vent your frustrations about your boss, kids, co-workers, spouse, and/or lover, but it also results in crushed ice for that cocktail you probably so badly need. It might be a bit messy to transfer the crushed ice from the towel to a bowl, since the ice tends to stick some to the towel, so I just do the transfer over the sink. The remaining ice that sticks to the towel will melt in a few minutes, and then you can hang your damp towel up to dry. Store any extra crushed ice in a covered plastic bowl or ziploc bag in the freezer for later use.

Second, you’ll need some cooled simple syrup on hand. Simple syrup is just one part water combined with one part sugar, and heated until just boiling, and then cooled. Simple syrup in a covered glass container will keep in the fridge for months.

Either seltzer water or club soda will work for a tequila mojito

Third, mojito recipes always call for carbonated water. I used inexpensive seltzer water from Walmart, but fancier brands are certainly fine, and club soda works too. Wondering about the difference between club soda, seltzer and sparkling water? This post from the Kitchn is a quick little primer.

Fourth, go ahead and muddle your mint while it’s in your shaker container with the simple syrup, tequila, and lime juice, but don’t add the ice or the seltzer or club soda yet, since shaking up anything carbonated will just make an overflowing mess. Muddle and crush the mint with a wooden spoon so as to release the flavorful oil from the leaves…it’s totally okay if there are a few broken flecks of mint in the drink. Then add crushed ice to the shaker, cover, and shake up all of that goodness!

Try a tequila mojito for the last day of summer…okay, any day of the year…

Then strain the shaken liquid into a glass filled about halfway with crushed ice. Top off the glass with 1 to 2 ounces of seltzer or club soda, stir once, and then sip.